The man of my dreams
by Specificitydarling
Summary: Violet has a dream that freaks her out, Cooper misunderstands and it turns out everyone likes a bit of gossip. VioletCooper. Now complete. But that doesn't mean you dont have to review!
1. This was not her bedroom

Her eyes opened and the glaring light from outside made her close them immediately. She pulled the duvet cover over her head and paused. This was not her duvet cover. She sat up, braving the sunlight. This was not her bedroom. It was all man-like. She was in a man's bedroom. In his bed! She checked under the covers on a hunch. She was in a man's bed, naked! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. The room looked vaguely familiar, which meant she had been here before, which meant that it was a friend. The man was a friend. Oh God! She slept with a friend! She saw a shirt hanging off a chair and grabbed it. It must be His, since it was way too big for her. She looked around but couldn't see any of her own clothing, then realising she was standing in the middle of the Man's bedroom naked, she put the shirt on quickly.

She paced around the room, racking her brain for any clue to who the Man was. A smell came from another room. He was making her breakfast! And then The Bee Gees came on. She laughed, because there was only one person that listened to The Bee Gees this early in the morning. Cooper must have told - . Cooper! Oh God! This was not happening; she did not just sleep with Cooper. She must have just slept over. He was on the couch. That's what happened; she just slept in his bed, naked. Oh God, she had sex with Cooper. She looked around the room but there was no way she could escape. Except if she jumped out the window, in which case she would probably die. Actually, that didn't sound too bad.

Ok, she tried to calm herself down, ok. This was going to be fine, she was going to go into the kitchen and they would talk about this rationally. They would both agree this was a huge mistake and go on with life. He was making her breakfast. She was wearing his shirt. She had sex with Cooper!!

She contemplated making a run for it but then remembered that the only clothes she had on was Cooper's shirt. So, taking a deep breath and holding it for as long as she possibly could, she tentatively walked out of the bedroom. As she reached the doorway of the kitchen, she could hear him humming along to 'To Love Somebody'. He casually flipped a pancake, then turned around and saw her.

"Hey." He grinned.

And it was like magic. She wasn't freaking out anymore, she wasn't planning a speech in her head, she was fine. And it felt nice.

He held out his hand and she moved closer. His arms snaked around her waist. She smiled as he kissed her hair.

"Vi?" he said.

"Hm..."she turned to look up at him.

"You have really bad bed head."

"Oh shut up." She leant up and kissed him. And he kissed her back. For a split second she remembered it was Cooper. She was kissing Cooper! But then she realised it didn't feel foreign at all. In fact, she didn't think she had ever felt more at home.

He pulled away, "Shit, I'm burning the pancake."

Violet sat up suddenly. It was her bedroom. All Her-like. She was wearing clothes, and she could see the ones she had changed out of the night before. It was ok, it was just a dream. She hadn't actually slept with Cooper. Shit! She had dream sex with Cooper! She covered her face with her hands. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. The dream, it...it was there. She would never be able to talk to him again without seeing that kiss. And the sex... Wait, she didn't actually have the sex! She only dreamt the morning after. She's an idiot, she can't even have dream sex right! She threw her head back down onto her pillow. What were the chances of her closing her eyes and dying? Too small. Sighing, she got out of bed. Maybe a long, long shower would help.


	2. It was just a dream

"Sorry I'm late." She repeated as she rushed into the meeting room. She wasn't really; she wanted to avoid the morning conversation, the coffee, the whole friendship thing really. I mean, it would be hard, with 'I just kissed you in my dream, and I liked It.' replaying in her head the whole time. Five faces looked up to greet her, one looking particularly happy. She couldn't look him in the eye without turning the shade of Addison's hair. This was going o be a long, long day and it already hated her.

"As I was saying, we're busy today. So could we please act more like a practice and less like a high school?" Naomi looked pointedly around the table.

"Should we be offended or flattered?" Cooper leant over and whispered as Naomi carried on.

"I, um, I don't know." God, she wouldn't be able to get through the day like this. Answering his question was not the same as telling him her dream. She was pathetic.

She looked away, noticing his confused expression. If she could just get through this meeting without talking to him... and the rest of the day, and the rest of her life.

"Violet, you have a new patient today. Mrs...Bergner wants you to talk to her husband. Apparently he has some sort of fetish for...pancakes." Naomi pulled a face as she read the list.

This had to be some sort of joke. Except it wasn't funny. At all. She had dream sex with Cooper and people were talking about pancakes!

"I have to go, um, I need to get ready for my patients. Busy day. At work. Bye now." She nearly ran out of the room, but she stopped herself because if she had, she would have tripped. That's how much today hated her. Instead she walked out calmly, trying not to notice her everyone staring after her.

She was making coffee in the staff room when Naomi walked in. It had been nice to be alone for a while. Solitude can a good thing, that's something she tells her patients. Although she's not sure if she actually believes it. But it was nice, in the beginning, when the water first started to boil. Then she remembered nearly every moment she'd had with him there. God, what did they spend whole days in there. It wasn't actually a big room. Why couldn't she have dreamt about Bill? Seriously, it probably would've been much more enjoyable. Yes, definitely. And with less aftermath.

"Do you need to see someone? I'm asking as your friend. Are you ok? I've heard it's quite common for shrinks to see shrinks." She smiled sympathetically.

She shook her head, "I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well. Tired. But now, I've got coffee. Mmmmm... I'm great!" She blabbered on and could feel Naomi's doubtful eyes bore into her. She avoided eye contact as she placed the milk back into the fridge.

She sighed; she could tell one person, right? That was allowed. One person to tell her she wasn't going crazy, or at least help her avoid Cooper for a week.

"I had a dream." She looked at Naomi, who looked back, confused.

"Ok."

"I had a dream... about Cooper." She blushed and stared at her hands.

"Oh." Naomi paused, and then something clicked. "Ooohhh!" She gave her this devilish grin.

"Oh What?" Addison walked in and headed straight for the coffee.

"Violet had dream sex with Cooper."

"Naomi!!" This was not going to plan, she wasn't getting any advice from Naomi. More people knew about this. With her luck someone else was going to walk in soon. Today really hated her.

"Ooohhh!" Addison gave her the same devilish smile Naomi had. What? Did they learn that in Medical school or something?

Okay, fine, Addison can know. "I didn't dream '_the sex'_." She couldn't stand the word, at least, not in the same context as Cooper.

Addison looked at Naomi, "Why is she whispering?"

"Because it's Cooper." Wasn't it obvious?

She took a deep breath, and a huge gulp of coffee. If she talked about this, as a dream, it will seem more of a dream. Less like reality. That was excellent reasoning. She hoped.

"I woke up at his place. Naked. And he was making me breakfast. And Singing along The Bee Gees. I felt happy, loved. In my dream. "

Both women were looking at her so intently, she felt like she was back in high school with a huge zit on her face. "So, you're really over Allan?" Naomi asked

"And Bill, it seems." Addison laughed.

"I'm not in love with Cooper. It was just a dream. I'm being pathetic. I should go now, Pancake Man is waiting." She backed out of the staff room, leaving Naomi and Addison laughing. She was definitely not in love with Cooper. That was just ridiculous. She was just deprived of sex and love. That's it. It's just a withdrawal thing. God, she needed to get laid.


	3. It was his day

Cooper was worried about Violet. She was acting strange and crazy. Well, more strange and crazy than usual. Anyway, it had gotten past endearing and now he was just worried. Luckily he didn't have any switched babies or blue 8 year olds to tend to so he usefully spent his morning trying to subtly stalk her. He casually walked past the staff room and heard her talking:

"I woke up at his place. Naked. And he was making me breakfast."

After a sudden stall, he sped off in the direction of his office with a pained expression on his face. This was not ok; she wasn't supposed to get back together with Allan. It was Allan, right? It had to be. Violet just doesn't jump into bed with people. She was not him. Whoever it was, it was not good. She was supposed to eventually get over him, and then Cooper would make his move. He practised this – Why was this not going to plan?!

"Woah. Woah!" Sam shook him awake from his day-mare, after he ran into him.

"Cooper. Are you okay, man? Did an internet Hooker steal your car again?" Pete appeared beside him.

Sam laughed and he gave them both a sarcastic smile, before returning to his pained expression

"I think Violet slept with Allan."

Both men looked at each other and sighed, "Violet's a big girl, Cooper."

He waved his hands around, "He's just gonna hurt her again!" The pained expression on his face was growing. He just wanted to run into his office and cry. But he couldn't; because he was a man. And right now, being a man really sucked.

"She needs to make her own choices." Sam said. And he sighed. That he accepted, but he maintained that she would continue making the wrong choices. Until he was her choice. That day should have been today. It was his day. How the hell did it turn into Allan's day?!

Pete eyed him inquisitively, and started chuckling. "I can't believe we missed this!"

Cooper shook his head! No, Pete was wrong, he was very wrong. Cooper was incredibly good at hiding his feeling for Violet. And no special alternative medicine guru is able to read his mind. People knowing would just complicate things. Although Allan already did that.

"What'd we miss?" Sam looked from him to Pete and back.

Pete gestured to him, "Cooper. He has a bit of a crush... "

He puffed his cheeks out in a huff. A crush?! What did Pete think he was? Twelve? "It's not a-" he stopped then turned bright red. Here he was, in the middle of the hallway, admitting his love. And it wasn't even to her.

Sam looked at him stunned. "You." He stopped to gather his thoughts, "You like her?"

Cooper shrugged, and Sam stepped back shaking his head whereas Pete just grinned, "Where are we? Grade School? So he's in love with her."

Cooper had to do his best not to yell. "It's not just some random – it's Violet!"

Sam nodded in agreement, "It is Violet." Then he turned back to Cooper, "What are you going to do?"

He really didn't know. It was supposed to be his day. But he put friend Violet above no Violet at all, so if she chose Allan...then Allan it was. He'd talk to her. Maybe she was trying to find him right now, crying because he broke her heart one more time. The idea of punching Allan brightened his day a bit and he decided that maybe his day would come again. In the meantime, crying on the inside still seemed like the best idea. Because he was a man, and the bathroom had obviously not proved to be safe for anything private.


	4. It was off limits

Avoidance was an art, she decided. And she was pretty damn good at it. It was 2:30 in the afternoon and she'd already invented 3 patients, 6 phone calls and 1 coffee date to avoid talking to him. She spent that time in her office with the door closed and the blinds down. Yes, it was a wonderful life. All she had to do was keep it up for the rest of her life. Or, at least until she couldn't remember the kiss anymore. Which would probably be never. Because when she was alone in her office with the door closed and the blinds down, she let herself remember and it was a really good kiss. Like, a really really great kiss...

No. Stop. Rewind. It was not a good kiss because a) it was a dream kiss and b) it was Cooper! Cooper the sex-addict. She had a dream about a sex-addict and there wasn't even any sex. God, she was really bad at this and she needed to stop think about this. Because thinking about it would lead to thinking about the kiss. The really really bad (amazing) kiss.

She laid her palms flat out on her desk in an aim to gain control but it didn't work and she felt like an idiot. Well, that wasn't the reason she felt like an idiot. That was more because she dreamt about her best friend in not a oh-hey-I-had-a-funny-dream-about-you-the-other-night kind of way.

She poked her head out of her office and saw an empty lobby, except for Dell at the Reception desk. This was her chance! She made her way to the desk, hoping that everybody else was busy doing work things. Something like what she should have been doing but that was hard with kisses and dreams and best friends swirling around her mind. No! She was not thinking about that. That was off limits.

"Dell!" she said with a bright smile on her face. Not a real smile though, one of those ones that she used when she wanted people to think she knew what she was doing.

"Violet, I've got something for you." Dell said and reached down under the desk. This was good. He'd probably bring out a pile of files that she's need to sort through which would keep her in her office with the door closed and the blinds down till everybody else left.

Her smile faded when he pulled out a large box and opened the lid. "Double Chocolate I-just-had-dream-sex-with-my-best-friend cake. Thought you could use some." He grinned and she wanted to hurt him.

"This is not a joke and someone will hear you! How do you know, anyway?" She whispered, leaning over the desk and then someone walked up behind and spoke and it was the very last person she ever wanted to see or hear or come in contact with.

Cooper stood beside her all of a sudden and Dell put on his best bored face and she took a deep breath because he was the first person she would go to if this happened with someone else but it was him and she couldn't talk to him about him. And she needed to stop thinking in such long sentences because she was going dizzy.

"Violet, are you okay? You've been acting weird all day." He asked and put his hand on her shoulder. She tensed up and Dell turned around to top himself laughing. Damn him!

She turned and gave him her best smile except it didn't quite work when he was looking at her like that and it reminded her of how he looked at her while he was making pancakes. And – No! The dream was off limits!

"I'm fine Cooper, just busy. Working. You should try that some time." She grabbed the box and walked away and grimaced at what she had just said and she could feel him just standing there staring after her.

She was half way back to her office and the safety of closed doors when she saw Naomi walking past. She grabbed her and pulled her inside and shut the door. After she checked, and yes, Cooper was still standing there staring after her.

"What the -" Naomi glared at her.

"Dell gave me cake." She was pacing, with the box in her hands. And Naomi was still standing there looking at her.

"What?"

"He knew! And he gave me cake! How did he know?!" She jiggled the box but then stopped because it was cake and it shouldn't go to waste.

Naomi made this face that looked as if she wanted to laugh but she was smart enough to know better, "I thought it would help. He's not going to tell anyone!"

She was still pacing, because Dell knew. And the more people knew the more if felt real and it was not allowed to feel real because he was Cooper and one day she was going to have to look at him again. Real was just complicated. That's why Bill was a much safer choice. She cursed her subconscious for choosing the wrong man.


	5. It sucked

Cooper stared at her closed door for a while before turning back to Dell, "Did that just happen?"

Dell looked like and extremely uncomfortable 15 year old, "Um... yes?" he smiled weakly.

Cooper looked at him disbelievingly for a moment then walked off in the direction of his office. This was very very not good. She was avoiding him. And She was getting back together with Allan. And it was definitely not his day! In fact, it sucked. Friend Violet was better that no Violet but he wasn't getting any friend. There was no friend, and no Violet and he really wanted to talk to her. Because when they weren't talking he got all knotted up inside and he didn't like it.

**A/N**a very short in between chapter because Cooper needs a say as well


	6. This could not be happening

She opened her eyes and threw back the covers. The cold air hit her and she pulled them back. It was freezing! Where was she, Antarctica?! She burrowed herself into the bed and hit something. Something warm. Something with hands! She panicked as an arm slowly wound around her middle. It felt familiar.

"We've got time." It mumbled into her neck and she realised. Cooper! She was in bed with Cooper! Again! And there was still no sex! God, she was really bad at this.

He must have felt her tense up because he grabbed her hand and intertwined her fingers with his and she heard a faint clink. No. Definitely not. Not possible. Uh –Uh. She was not, not even maybe, married to Cooper. With her other hand she felt a metal band around her ring finger. She was married to Cooper!!

She lay there, staring up at the dark ceiling, freaking out. But, he really was very warm. And comfy. And she kinda liked the idea that it was like this every morning. She nuzzled further into him and felt him smile into her hair. She stopped. Damn it. She needed to pee.

She braved the cold and threw back the covers. At this Cooper made a strangled sort of muffle. She ignored that, putting her focus on herself. She was fat. Like really, really fat. What the hell?! Did she eat Dell's whole grandmother! Promising to go on a diet starting now, she got up. She really needed to pee.

As she walked past the mirror, she stopped in her tracks. Mainly because she wasn't walking; she was waddling. She wasn't fat. She was pregnant!! Extremely pregnant. Oh God! She wished she had just eaten Dell's whole grandmother. Shit! She was going to be a mother. She was a mother-to-be, a mummy-in-waiting. This could not be happening. She was not stable enough for this!

She paced around the bathroom. Freaking out because she was married and pregnant and because she wasn't really freaking out at all.

Violet opened her eyes. That did not just happen. There was no way that – Oh God! She dream-married Cooper! And she was going to have a dream-baby. She groaned. Why Cooper? Giving up on sleep, and assuming that the possibility of miraculously dying was as low as the day before, she went in search of coffee. At the back of the fridge, she found an open bottle of wine. She weighed up her options, then filled up a glass. It was going to be a long day.


	7. It would change everything forever

Big, floppy hats were God's gift to women. They were the perfect thing if one needed to hide. She used hers to discreetly sprint from the elevator to Naomi's office after, coincidentally, missing the morning meeting. The morning meeting was pointless anyway, it was just a group gathering to verbalise everything that was already on paper. And that meant being in the same room as Cooper, which was a big no-no. How was she ever going to look at him again?! She was married to him!

Dell tried to talk to her, but she turned away while going past him. She hoped it conveyed an I-Can't-talk-to-you-because-I'll-start-to-cry meaning but it's possible she just looked rude. Beggars can't be choosers though, if she wanted to remain sane (which was a very farfetched aim at the moment) then all interaction must be limited to women. Specifically, Naomi. She better be able to help.

Said help looked up when she walked in and her you're-late glare made her want to run away. She half turned around to leave but she really would burst if she didn't tell someone. Someone that excluded the whole male population of Ocean Side Wellness and also Addison because... Well, just because Naomi's office was closer to her own which made it easier to escape behind a closed door and drawn blinds after she finished confession.

She shut the door and turned back to Naomi, who was still staring at her, half in confusion, half in annoyance. It was really a perfected look. She wrung her hands until her knuckles hurt because she couldn't figure out how to say what she wanted to say. At least it wasn't Cooper. Oh God, Cooper! Cooper could never ever find out about this because a) it would mean she would have to talk to him about it and since she couldn't even talk to Naomi, that was a lost cause and b) it would change everything forever and that was the change that she didn't want because when there was only one constant in your life (Cooper) it made sense that you hold onto it like hell.

"I'm pregnant." She finally blurted and even surprised herself when she said it. Maybe not the best way to go, though...

"What?!" Naomi was a little too loud for her liking, because Loud caused commotion which lead to the whole office coming to the site of Loud. Office including Cooper, this was a very bad thing.

However, talking about it still didn't result in complete sentences, "Last night. I was married. And Pregnant!" And somehow Naomi figured out what she was talking about.

She gave a sympathetic smile, and for once, Violet didn't mind the pity. "You're freaking out a little. It's just a dream, it can't be that bad."

What? Did she not understand the sheer badness of this situation? It was worse than Bill Clinton's (alleged) affair!

"Oh, it's bad. It's like multiple levels of bad." She bit her lip.

Naomi looked at her quizzingly before reaching the realisation that yes, this was really that bad. She looked quickly through her windows before mouthing, "Cooper?"

She nodded. Yes, Cooper. Married to Cooper. Pregnant to Cooper. Ugh, it was too much to think about. Her brain hurt.

"You're in trouble." Naomi spoke again after a moment of silence.

"I know! Help!" she whined as best as she could. That meant channelling her inner child. Cooper was best at- Ok, not going there! That was a bad place to go. She should just section off a part of her brain, stuff everything Cooper, dream, pancake, marriage or baby related and lock it shut.

Naomi was about to say something when unwanted intrusion occurred. Damn other people! They shouldn't exist on this planet when she needed help! Didn't they know that she was top priority?!

"Sorry but, Naomi. Mr and Mrs Daniels are here." Dell poked his head in the room.

Naomi looked at her, apologetically. "I need to see them. I'll find you later, and we'll talk about this, ok?"

She nodded, but didn't move from her seat until Naomi left the office to go welcome the patients. Dell still stood there, giving her this annoying smug grin.

"You make up with Cooper?"

She made a face, "Oh Shut up!"

Smug grin remained.

"Little Boy!"

There we go, that got rid of it. She walked out of the room satisfied, until she saw Cooper in the kitchen. She rushed to her office. Closed doors and drawn blinds it was.


	8. It didn't mean anything

She really needed something relaxing. Anything. Massage. Chocolate. Movie. Alcohol. Cooper. Damn it! By midday she had decided that she didn't like her job anymore, and first chance she got she would talk to Naomi, resign and relocate to The Bahamas. They probably had less shoe stealing weirdoes there, and definitely less Coopers. Damn it! This not-thinking-about-Cooper thing was not working at all. Ugh.

She had tried reasoning with herself. Could talking to him really be that bad? No. He was Cooper, he could make conversation about vegetables and she'd find it interesting. That probably why she dream-married him. Nope, not going there. That was dangerous territory and she just really really didn't want to think about it. It was not a good topic to think about. Ever. Actually, maybe she could ask about that forgetting drug some trauma patients take. Now, there's an idea...

Someone knocked on the door and when she looked up Naomi and Pete walked in. She gave them a smile, but they were probably able to see through it. Naomi looked as if she wanted to say something but Pete started laughing and that meant –

"You know?!" she stood up. Then realised her door was open. She ran to close it then turned back to Naomi, "He knows?!"

The multiple levels of bad just got worse. Oh God, she was going crazy. Ok, Calm down. Channeling the calmness of a beautiful beach in the Caribbean. Palm trees, white sand, hammocks... What crap was this? Did she actually sell this to her patients? What a joke! No, it's generally bad to stop believing in one's chosen career. Psychology was a good science. She needed to keep telling herself that. And possibly find a therapist.

"Relax, Violet . We all know." Pete said, sitting down on her couch.

And how exactly was this going to make her relax? Wait, did he say they _all _know?

"Everybody knows?" She asked in horror.

"Yes." Naomi spoke this time, and the guilt could be seen on her face. What happened to not acting like a high school?

"Does Cooper know?" She whispered, sitting down as well.

She let out a long breath or relief when Pete shook his head, no. At least there was that. Now how long could she trust two women, the alternative guru, Dr. Feelgood and surfer boy to keep her secret? That's what she thought...

"Don't worry. No one laughed." Naomi offered in reassurance, "Well, except Dell. But don't worry about him. " She patted her on the shoulder.

Violet stood up, "OK. I'm ok. This is me being ok. I need to go get ready for my next patient." She turned to leave her room, and could swear she saw Pete chucking. Just great. Nevertheless, both co-workers followed suit.

"Hey Dell, I need Shannon McKay's file, please." She said, hoping that all interaction would be limited to co-op topics.

Dell nodded and pulled out a file and placed it on the desk. Before she could grab it, he also placed a plate of cookies on top. "Chocolate chip. I thought the kiddies might like it." He grinned and she wanted to punch him.

She heard both colleagues behind her start sniggering and she pointed a finger at him, "Mean, mean little boy." She said.

Instead of a response from him, another man wanted to talk to her. The wrong man. God, this was a very dangerous place to be.

"Uh, Violet? Could I talk to you?" He sounded uncertain. And she cringed at both the prospect of talking to him and that her avoidance had most probably made him this way. Luckily, both Naomi and Pete saw her panicked face and stepped in.

"Cooper, I needed to talk to you about one of my patients." Pete, said turning him around, "The file is in my office. It'll be quick." Cooper gave one her one last glance before following Pete and she wanted to go cry. She really didn't like hiding from Cooper. She looked at the cookies. Marriage. Kids. Did she have a choice but to hide? How do you tell your best friend that your subconscious chose him to spend happily ever after with? And that it didn't mean anything. There were no words for her situation. Not in English, anyway.


	9. It was someone else

She was still avoiding him. And they were helping her. This meant that the badness of the current situation was even worse than he had anticipated. What could possibly worse than Violet getting back together with Allan? No- She wasn't – she couldn't be pregnant! Could she? Shit! Violet was pregnant and it wasn't his and Allan wasn't the right guy. Why wasn't she talking to him? I mean she knew that he would be supportive and positive, right? Ok, He would only pretend to be positive and supportive; really he would be banging his head against a wall. But that came under the list of things that Violet didn't need to know.

He sullenly followed Pete into his office, and was surprised to see Sam in there as well. The fact that these two knew about his problem made him a bit more anxious to find out the root of it.

"Why are you helping her?" He finally asked, after Pete shut the door. He leant against the acupuncture table and waited for a response. None came. He took a deep calm breath and tried to reassure himself that no response was not necessarily a bad thing. He failed.

"Why won't Violet tell me she's back together with Allan?" He asked. Or rather, why won't Violet tell him anything? Why was she avoiding him like the plague? Why was she scared? He would be content with an answer to any of these, or even none if Violet was talking to him again. They didn't have to talk about Allan. Just... talk. He wanted to tell her about _hottness76_and see her disgusted reaction. Because she was really cute when she looked at him like he was deranged. Actually, they didn't even need to talk, they could just watch movies and get drunk. He would even let her choose, even though she chooses movies like a girl. He knew she was... but still, how many movies about poor guys falling in love with rich girls could Hollywood make?

Sam and Pete looked at each other, and he waited expectantly for an answer. Pete opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to have forgotten the language and Sam stepped in with really really bad news.

"You don't need to worry about Allan, Cooper." He said with a half-smile.

What did this mean? He didn't need to worry about Allan... Shit. It was someone else. He knew how to handle Allan, but someone else... He wasn't prepared for someone else! Someone else was stepping onto his turf and this was bad. Ok, Violet was actually his – No. She was. Violet was his turf. He didn't care how it sounded. Violet was the most important thing in his life and that meant it was his turf. And unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to defend it.

"So there's definitely no Allan?" he said slowly, still trying wrap his head around the fact that Violet had been able to find someone else right under his nose. His chances were one-by-one dying and he hated it. At least she wasn't pregnant. Right?

"There's definitely no Allan." Pete said and gave Sam a side-wards glance, but Cooper didn't have the energy, nor the will to look into it.

"You should talk to her." Sam said, and both Cooper and Pete looked at him doubtfully.

"She doesn't want to talk to me."

"She doesn't want to talk to him."

Sam sighed, "Cooper. You feel how you feel. That's probably not going to change, whatever happens with Violet. "

He had a point.

"So... I'll talk to her." Maybe he could get her to tell him who someone else was. No! He had to promise himself that he would not think about it. Thinking about it would just make him really bitter and that was generally not a good thing to be when trying to persuade your best friend to start liking you again. Life sucked.

"You'll talk to her." Sam nodded, and patted him on the shoulder as he walked out. He and Pete didn't move for a while until Pete finally held the door open for him.

"I've got patients."

"Oh. Yeah... Sorry." He said and went to leave.

"Cooper." Pete called him back. And when he turned around, "Be a man."

Cooper smiled a thanks and walked back to his office. Despite what Pete and Naomi and even Violet said, being a man was really not that easy. Seriously it should come with an instruction manual, or something.


	10. It really really scared her

She knew he was there before he knocked. He had been for a couple of minutes, but she kept her head down with her mind buzzing over what to say. Cooper was... Cooper and not talking to him for the past two days had driven her insane. He was her anchor into normality and without him she just floated around craziness all day. She had never known before then how much she actually depended on her best friend and it scared her. It really really scared her. Talking to him was both what she most wanted and what she most dreaded.

He cleared his voice before he spoke, "I know about ...uh, I know." He nodded for added effect.

She wasn't sure at that point if she was relieved or if her heart dropped just a little. He knew her dark and horrible and embarrassing secret and he was here. He was being Cooper and she loved him for it. But as a psychologist she knew that at the most noteworthy times, dreams usually didn't mean nothing.

"You do?" She finally looked up at him. He was standing awkwardly at the foot of her couch and he looked so unsure that she wanted to hug him. But she couldn't because she didn't know where she was with him anymore. She tried to imagine how she would feel if the situation was reversed and she realised it wouldn't have to this because Cooper would have probably told her about it the day after and they would've laughed about it. Except she couldn't laugh about this, and she didn't think she wanted to.

"Yeah...I just kinda wish you'd told me." He said.

She nodded, "I know. I'm sorry. I just... I wasn't sure what you'd think. I wasn't sure what I thought so-" She rambled until he cut her off.

"Doesn't matter." He said a little hastily and she looked at him curiously. Maybe he was taking this worse than she thought. "We're still friends, right?"

She laughed and got up. They better be, she didn't know what she would do without him. "Of course." She walked over to him, and stroked his shoulder, "We'll always be friends." She smiled weakly and she wished she believed it herself. Actually, no. That she believed, it was whether that would always be enough was what was doubtful.

And that was the worst thing because she knew from experience that rejection was a bitch. From Allan, she could handle. But from Cooper, that was a totally different story. One that she didn't even want to read.

He smiled at that, and she was glad she was able to make him feel better because she couldn't say the same for herself. He put his hands around her, embracing her in a warm hug and she remembered everything she had missed the past couple of days.

When he let go, she did the same, if a little hesitantly. He looked at her and grinned, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Friend."

She laughed and nodded. He smiled a goodbye, and walked out, a little more confidently than he walked in. That's all he wanted, to make sure they were still friends.

Friends. She sat down on her couch and hugged her knees. There it was. And there was probably where it would stop. It made her heart break just a little. She lo- No. She couldn't say it. Saying it would make it real. And in this case real would hurt. Real would make it harder for her to see him every day, knowing that she could've had a dream. It would be locked up tight, and tomorrow she would sit next to him during the morning meeting and they would joke about Charlotte King's bossiness. They'd have lunch together and probably spend too much time in the kitchen instead of actually doing work. He'd tell her about some girl of the internet and she'd pretend to be disgusted. Friends. She nodded emphatically to herself and it reminded her of him and she hugged her knees a little tighter. This better work.


	11. It was real

She stood in front of the door for a whole six minutes before it opened. The whole time, her mind was swirling and her heart was thumping. It had taken her half an hour, from getting home to stepping out of the shower, to realise that she had no other choice except real. It was real and she couldn't escape it. And for the first time, she didn't know if she wanted to. Maybe she wanted to collide with it head-on and see what happened.

"Violet?" The door opened and Addison was staring at her, confused. Which was understandable, since it was around 11.

"Hi. I know it's really late. And we're not friends. But I really, really need to...share." She smiled at her.

Addison stared at her for another second, before wrapping her robe tighter around her and nodding, "Come in. Are you okay?"

Yes. No. She wasn't even sure. Was she okay? What do you call it when you realise you're in love with your best friend? Oh God. This was real and she had no idea what to do with it. Well, tell him. If only that was as easy as it sounded.

Addison gestured for her to sit down onto the couch, and sat down next to her. "Share away." She smiled reassuringly.

How to phrase this? "I think I love him." She said, staring at her hands. No. She didn't think it. She knew it. She knew that she loved the way he made her coffee, even if it was a tiny bit different to the way she did it. She knew that she loved how he played with her hair when they watched movies. She knew that she loved how he bought her takeaways then ended up cooking her dinner anyway. And she knew that she wanted that dream, the cold mornings in bed, the clinks of metal bands, and yes, even the waddling, to be real.

Her red-haired colleague did not seem to understand this, "Well, sure, I mean. You two are really close, aren't you?"

She shook her head forcefully, "I love Cooper. _Love _love."

"Oh. Ouch." Addison said, "I take it you haven't told him."

She shook her head again, a little less forcefully and a little more regretfully.

"That happened to me once." Addison said in reflection, glancing at her.

She looked up. Hopefully this would be a story with a happy ending. "What happened?"

"Turned out he felt the same. We got married. Lived happily ever after." She paused. "Then I slept with his best friend and he fell in love with a whiny intern across the country. But that's another, very long story."

She laughed, and Addison continued, "But since _you_ are his best friend, I don't think you'll have that problem."

Violet held her breath, "You think he..."

She shook her head, "I don't know. But telling him sure beats waiting at home for him to show up at your doorstep."

She stood up, and nodded, once again reminding herself of Cooper. And not minding so much this time. "Thank you. I should ..." She glanced towards the door. She should go figure out how to tell her best friend that friends wasn't enough.

Addison stood up as well and smiled, "Good luck."

She had rephrased the sentence "I love you." about 50 different ways by the time she arrived home. None of them sounding good enough. How exactly do you say it? Do you just blurt it out? Or write it down? Should you even use words? The idea of a repetition of the pancake kiss made her heart a little warmer.


	12. This wasn't how it was supposed to go

The knocking on the door woke her up. She grumbled out of bed and walked towards the incessant noise.

"I'm coming!"

She opened the door.

"Cooper?"

Oh God. She wasn't supposed to see him until the morning. She hadn't figured out what to say, how to say it. Why was he here?

"Cooper. What are you doing here? It's like 3 in the morning." She said, but opened the door a little wider so he could come in. Breathe, Violet. In. Out. In. Out.

"Yeah.. I know. I'm sorry." He looked at her with apologetic eyes, "I just, I've been...I need, I need to take back what I said earlier."

She racked her brain for anything offensive he may have said, but nothing came up. She looked at him blankly and he continued.

"I can't do friends."

What?! How was she supposed to tell him she loved him if he couldn't even be friends with her? This was supposed to be something they would be able to laugh about! How could a dream ruin her life?! It was a series of images, thoughts, and emotions that a person experiences in their mind as they sleep! She hyperventilated internally, hoping for this to be a nightmare.

She shook her head. "You're not making sense."

"Violet, I can't be that person. That one that gives you guy advice and sends you off on dates every Friday. I don't want to be your best man. I can't settle for that. And I'm sorry."

She waited patiently for him to finish, her mind racing in all directions. She wasn't sure how to start a sentence, let alone finish one.

"What are you talking about?" She said after a paused.

"What? You know what I'm talking about. You know I know. Your Someone Else!" He said tensely.

Her what?! She continued to look at him in confusion. No sentences were formed completely enough to be verbalised.

"What I'm saying, Vi, is that I can't sit there and be your friend, while He gets the whole package!" Cooper said, frustrated. And she was frustrated also, because she still had no idea what he was on about. But she started to realise that he may not know about the dream after all. And she didn't know she felt about that.

"Cooper. No one is getting the whole package." She shook her head and tried to disguise a smile. She had a package. And he acknowledged it. Would now be a bad time to offer it to him?

He waved his arms around frantically, "What about Mr. Breakfast and The Bee Gees?"

She started to laugh. He was jealous of himself. "Cooper. That was dream I had."

He stared at her for a second, "Oh. So why were you avoiding me?"

She paused. "It was about you."

He looked at her, and opened his mouth to say something, but shut it promptly. She glanced around the room, then looked back at her and sat down on her couch. She sat down next to him. He turned to her, opened his mouth to say something again, but no words came out.

Eventually, after a long silence: "So there's no someone else?" he asked.

She shook her head, "I don't want someone else."

And there it was. She had said it. Or at least said something to the equivalent. It was up to him now. He placed a hand on her knee and smiled.

And his face got replaced by the dark ceiling of her bedroom. You've got to be kidding! She groaned loudly and covered her face with a pillow. She hated when people played games with her mind and now her mind was playing games with her mind. And now she was confused and tired and in love. It wasn't even morning. What was she supposed to do? Go back to sleep? Unlikely.


	13. It was what she wanted

**A/N:** This chap actually reminded me of my story Pathetic But Not. Anyways, Sorry it took me so long to update it, I was trying to figure out where I was going with this. I have a pretty good Idea, now. The last few chaps are nearing up ... so enjoy them but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review... it makes me want to write so much more... Thanks for all your comments so far!!!

She hadn't gone to work that day. She couldn't. She couldn't think, she couldn't function and she didn't want to be responsible for ruining her patients' lives with bad bad crazy shrink advice. It was the best idea she had had all week, and most probably the worst because Cooper kept on calling. And she kept on not picking up. And it was killing her inside, because every time he left a message he sounded a little more desperate to talk to her.

She decided to do a Naomi and pushed all the pain and frustration deep down and covered it with food. Ice cream to be exact. And two tubs later she wasn't feeling any better.

She found the remote and pressed mute. She didn't need a knife that could cut through metal or a 3 second blender, but it was sure better than watching anything remotely life related. She leant over and pressed the play button on her answering machine.

BEEEEP

"Hey Vi, it's Cooper. I... you didn't come in today and I'm hoping you're okay...We're okay. Right? Um, Call me."

BEEEEP

"It's Cooper. Again. Just...let me know you're okay. Please."

BEEEEP

"Violet, It's me. I know... I'm calling too much. I wanted... Our talk last night has nothing to do with you not coming in, does it? Really, it's no big deal. We can talk again, call me."

BEEEEP

"I'm sorry. It's probably a big deal for you, and I wasn't even thinking about that. We don't have to talk about it. We'll talk about other stuff. It's what we do."

BEEEEP

"You know what, I just shouldn't have mentioned that at all. I'm sorry. And If I said anything, ever that made you mad... Just tell me. I'll pay you back in food, or coffee. I'll let you choose the movies for the next month. OK, bye!"

BEEEEP

"Me again. We _are_ still gonna hang out, right? Nothing's gonna change. Friends. Friends?"

BEEEEP

"Violet. It's me, Cooper, your friend. I'm going home now. Please call me. Or at least let me know you're still alive. Somehow. Smoke signals are fine. I, uh, missed you today."

BEEEEP

She sighed. That last call was an hour ago. He would be home now. She could call and he'd probably pick up. She could go over to his place and he'd open the door. It's what he did, but right now she didn't know if it was what she wanted.

She pressed the sound button and ad jingles filled her living room. She watched a young guy come on screen with his arm around a girl.

"We bought the Robo-Vacuum last year and it's been a God send." The Guy smiled.

The Girl nodded, "It's saved us so much time and now we can do more important things." She smiled suggestively at The Guy.

"More important things like spending time with family and loved ones." The Guy said and he hugged The Girl.

Violet turned off the TV. She did know. It was what she wanted. She raced up stairs and jumped into the shower. It was what she wanted and she was going to get it. Or at least, she was going to try.


	14. It was a mistake

Cooper hung up the phone reluctantly. She probably wasn't calling him because he was annoying her by worrying. But he was worried. She wasn't being strange and crazy. She wasn't being. She wasn't there. And he hated that. At least when she was avoiding him, he was still able to see here. Now she just disappeared. And he hoped to hell it wasn't anything he said. Should he have not confronted her? Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe she just didn't want to talk about it. Especially not with him.

But he had to talk about it with her because that's what they did and he had to make sure that they were good. They needed to be good, because otherwise he can't think about much else and then he can't do his job. They need to be good. They... just have to.

The elevator door closed on the lobby and he said goodbye to his very very not good day. It was a day without Violet. Therefore not good. He leant on the wall. They had to be good. Because if they weren't, he didn't know what to do with himself.


	15. It was simple

It took many different outfit changes for Violet to be satisfied. What exactly do you where to this kind of thing? Is a skirt too much, pants too professional? Did she need to dress up? Was it a celebration? Ugh. There should be a rule book on what to wear when telling someone you love them.

Love. Wow. She was surprised at how simple it was to say that. This was Cooper. Silly, immature, _her _Cooper. And she loved him. She nodded pointedly at the mirror.

Finally settling on a simple dress, she grabbed her wallet and keys. She'd leave her phone at home because there was only one person she wanted to talk to, and she was going there. She took a deep breath. This was it. It was simple. She loved Cooper. And she was going to tell him.

She opened the door and stopped.

"Cooper?!"

He eyed her dress and his smile faded. "You're going somewhere. Sorry. I'll just - " he turned to leave but she grabbed his arm.

"No! Stay. I was... I...How long have you been standing here?" She asked, still gripping his arm. She wasn't planning on letting go.

He looked from her to her hand with a raised eyebrow, but followed when she pulled him inside. She let go to close the door, and stood facing it for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Cooper was here. In her house. It wasn't really much different to her being in his place. But still, this changed things. It wasn't going to plan, and she wasn't sure she remembered what she wanted to say anymore.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, "Vi, you okay?"

She turned and smiled, "I'm... Do you want a drink?" She moved past him, and towards the kitchen.

She nearly got there when he spoke again, "I want to talk. To you."

She stopped and changed course, sitting herself down on the couch. Talking was good. Talking was how she could share how she felt. But she really wanted to Kiss him. No. No kissing. At least, not until she tells him she loves him. But what if...God, she really wanted to kiss him! Right now. She sat on her hands to restrain herself, as he sat himself down next to her.

He took a few deep breaths and played with his hands. "I... I don't think I can do this."

Things came crashing down in her mind, including her heart. "Do...do what?" she faltered.

He took hold of her hand, and she noticed how hers fit perfectly with his and her heart fell a little more as she waited for his answer. He opened his mouth a few times, searching for words. "I can't... just be your friend, Violet. I want... I need more. "

And she jumped. Literally, she jumped on him. She pushed him down on the couch as her mouth covered his. She felt his surprise and was relieved when he started kissing back. And it was better than her dream. That was something she never thought she'd think. His hands roamed her back, and he really, really kissed back. She wondered why she didn't figure out she loved him years ago. She pulled away when oxygen became crucial, because she didn't fell like dying spontaneously just yet.

He looked into her eyes, and they started laughing , which made their heavy breathing even heavier. He stroked her cheek and grinned, "I'm glad we're on the same page here."

And she kissed him again. Then stopped, and lay there, on top of him, staring blankly.

"What?" he asked curiously.

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm just waiting to wake up."

He looked puzzled, and she promised she'd tell him later. Well, not verbally, but she believed that kissing him again made up for it. She was happy with that compromise. And by the way he smiled into their kiss, she thought he was too.

It took a while for her to realise that she was still lying on top of him, in a dress. And when she did, she didn't make any action to move. And she didn't think he minded. The way he was holding her waist told her he didn't mind. It was definitely, definitely not settling.


	16. It was their thing

A/N: Hey guys!!! Thanks for being such good readers!!!, this fic is almost at a close. The next chapter will be the last. Please review... it means so much to me :D :D. But look for my next multi chapter fic... the first chapter will be up soon! Thanks so much for being excellent readers 3 3 3

Violet was beginning to understand why Addison found elevators such a ...aphrodisiac. Standing there, one hand holding a frappuccino (extra whip) and the other holding Cooper's, she wished the blinking numbers weren't going by so fast. In fact, she wished the blinking numbers weren't going at all. She looked longingly at the emergency stop. No. They were at work. Well, on their way. And... No. She couldn't even think about that. Because if she thought about that she wouldn't get any work done. But in a good way. She gave him a playful smirk, before bursting into a wide grin. He reciprocated and she really didn't want to go to work.

The doors opened and they walked into the lobby, giving each other a warm smile before heading off in their own directions. She glanced at the clock above Dell's desk. It was 9 am. Only 8 hours before they could both go home. She groaned; it was going to be a long day. She gave Dell a smile, and continued towards her office, ignoring his suspicious stare.

She was back in the kitchen. With Cooper and she realised how easy it was to spend way too much time here. She stood next to him making her own sandwich, but stealing bites of his. She was taking a sip of coffee when he started lowering his head dangerously close to hers. He was grinning mischievously. She tried to ignore it. She had to ignore it. They were at work! In the kitchen! With glass walls! But he was getting very close. She could fell his breath on her face as she leant towards him. One couldn't hurt...

"Hey!" They heard and he swiftly grabbed her mug and took a long gulp of coffee. She stood there glancing from him to the doorway where Naomi walked in followed by Pete, Sam and Addison. What, did the morning meeting move rooms? She smiled, relieved because it looked as though they hadn't been caught. Cooper bumped hips with her, behind the counter and she smiled even more. It was their thing.

Addison looked from her to Cooper, "So you're friends again?" she asked.

They were. "We are." She nodded. Well, they _were_friends.

There was a moment when everyone seemed satisfied. They were Violet and Cooper again. More Violet and Cooper than before, but they didn't need to know that just yet.

"So what'd you say when Violet told you about the dreams?" Pete asked casually, and she froze. The dreams! She forgot about them. And Cooper didn't know. Except now he did! She glanced up to see his face which was a mixture of confusion and scepticism. How could she forget the dreams?! Although forgetting anything wasn't too hard when Cooper did that thing with his – How could she forget the dreams?!

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "Dreams?"

Both Naomi and Addison stood up and glared at her, "You didn't tell him?" while Sam sat back laughing and Pete smiled at her apologetically.

"I...uh, I..." she stuttered, "I was going to!"

Pete nodded, and patted her on the shoulder as he went to leave, "Good luck."

Sam and Naomi left. Sam still laughing, Naomi slapping him on the shoulder to stop.

Addison stood there for second, staring at both of them. "You - " she opened her mouth to say, but seemed to have gotten lost. She decided to leave then, leaving them alone, again.

Cooper turned to her, and took another long gulp of her coffee. "Dreams?"

Oh... she had no idea how to explain this. But she had to tell him. He'd get mad if she didn't. And she really didn't want him mad. Not now. Not when she knew how it felt to... Okay, different thought topic. Focus! She had to tell him.

"You know..." she paused and bit her lip, "you know how this week I was sort of..."

"Avoiding me?" he offered.

She sighed, "Well... yeah. Avoiding you. It was because... I had had these... dreams."

He didn't look any less confused, "Dreams."

"Of you. And me... Together." She stared at her hands. So he wouldn't see how bright red she was turning. It didn't get any easy once you stop being friends.

He didn't say anything for a while, and she looked up to see if he was still there. He was. He was obviously lost in thought, but he was there.

"About us..." he started, then changed directions, "Did it change how you...feel." he made a continuous hand gesture.

She considered this, "It helped me realise."

At this he smiled, and because he smiled she smiled. She moved closer towards him. And he grinned widely before looking around.

Everyone else might have to get used to them making out in the kitchen. Because, she didn't think it was something she wanted to stop.

"So, we're good?" She smiled hopefully, drumming her fingers on his chest.

He nodded enthusiastically, and her heart dropped from her throat, "Oh, we're good."

He leant to her ear and whispered, "You know what _this_ means, right?"

She stared at his eyes, which were a wonderful shade of green and tease.

"Don't say it!" she warned, though she couldn't stop the grin from spreading along her mouth.

He laughed, but continued anyway, "I... am the man of _your_ dreams!"

"Oh shut up!" she laughed.

Instead, he shut her up, by kissing her again. Kissing her again really really well. Everyone else better get used to them making out in the kitchen, because she didn't think she could stop.


	17. It was pretty damn close

**A/N: Sorry it took me so so long to get this up, and I'm still not 100 happy with it, but I'm not sure I could done any better. This is the end of this. Hope you like and don't forget to review!!!!!!! Feedback is love!!!!**

She rolled over in half sleep, expecting to hit the warm body that usually lay there. Instead she was met with cold, empty sheets. The new-found loneliness woke her up even more and she sat up with a start. Her eyes adjusted to the dark as she realised what was wrong. She was alone. But more importantly, she cared. How did this happen, and how did she make it stop. Some people were perfectly happy with being alone. And she was supposed to be one of them. This was not okay, because she'd get used to company and one day, like right now, said company would leave. And she would be alone. She wasn't supposed to care. She wondered for a second whether she should go back to sleep, but the prospect of cold sheets put her off the idea.

The light from the hallway seemed inviting, if only for the fact that if she could see, then she would feel less alone. She pulled herself out of bed and made her way out of the bedroom. A warm, soothing voice came from one of the rooms. What – At first she froze; someone was singing in her house. Why?! Her first instinct was to rush towards the room with a baseball bat, ready to swing. But as she got closer, the panic lessened, and the voice got less strange and more comforting.

He must have seen her shadow in the light from the hallway, because he turned around before she even had a chance to make a sound. He smiled, and she decided it was ok to like company.

"I didn't hear her cry?" she said, though it was a question. It wasn't exactly warm so she hugged her arms around her.

He shook his head, "She didn't." She nodded, of course. She was guilty of it herself; staring at her, only the moonlight highlighting her soft features, a mixture of him and her. She tiptoed towards towards them, and he moved away to allow her between the cot and himself. He hugged her from behind in a way that made her feel safe. She knew that this was it. This was the way it should be. And she would never ever be ok with being alone again.

He kissed the back of her neck. "She's perfect." He whispered. She leaned into him, relishing his warmth.

"We're so lucky." She smiled. She still found it hard to believe that she had him, and her. And she found herself happy. Not perfectly, obviously. He was still as much of a child as their daughter was. And motherhood was definitely was not as fun as it looked like. But it was pretty damn close.

He paused, "I'm lucky. I got two"

She turned her head. She shouldn't be surprised at his confessions anymore. But every so often it still shocked her that silly, immature,_ her_ Cooper could love so much. Could love_ her_ so much.

She leant up, and kissed him, sliding a hand around his head to hold herself closer. He himself held her tighter, as though not to let her escape. Didn't he already know she wasn't going anywhere? Ever. And right now, she didn't think she could leave even if she wanted to.

She pulled away slightly, "Lets go to bed."

In the dark she could sense him raise an eyebrow, and laughed. "To sleep."

She heard a little sigh of disappointment. She can't give in. She can't. She mustn't, because otherwise, they'll never get to sleep. But…. No, they both have patients in the morning, and in fact, the nanny is coming earlier than usual. Sleep. Sleep is needed, is good.

She pressed a kiss onto their daughter's forehead, and remembers a time when she didn't want children.

He took her hand and she followed him out of the room.

Violet woke up to a dark room and an arm pinning her to the mattress. She nudged the source of warmth so that she could turn around.

"What's up?" he mumbled, and there's worry in his voice. She smiled and kissed him gently, as to not give him any ideas.

"I had a dream. A really good dream." She said and pulled his arm even tighter around her so that she could feel his heartbeat. It was her favourite thing to do since that night, when he said it was for her. She smiled, before drifting of back to sleep. She was living her dream. Or, at least, it was pretty damn close.


End file.
